Automatic gas cut-off.



M. L. GROVE.

AUTOMATIIG GAS GUT-OFF. APPLIUATION FILED APR.6, 1912.,

1,050,646. l Patented Jan.14','1913.

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MART-IN LUTHER GROVE, OF TYLERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFT0 WILLIAM ALEXANDER WRAY .AND ONE-SIXTH TO ALBERT FOY, BOTH 0ETYLERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC GAS CUT-OFF.

Patented an. 14, 1913.

To all whom t may concern Be it Aknown that I, MARTIN -LUTHER GROVE, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Tylersburg, in thecounty of Clarion and State of Pennsylvania, have made certain new anduseful Improvements in Automatic -Gras Cut-03sof which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic gas cut-Otis, and itconsists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereindescribed vand claimed.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, efficientand comparatively inexpensive automatic gas cutoff having an inlet andan outlet and provided with means operable through an abnormal decreasein the tiow of the gas for closing the outlet, and equipped withseparate means for producing a sub-normal flow within the cutoiin tocause an'operation of the said 'means when there is an abnormal.increase in the flow of gas through vthe inlet.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic gas cutoffof this character in which the automatically operable mechanism will .belocated wholly within the casing, and which will be equipped withexteriorly operable gas tight means for resetting the cutoff and foradjusting the said means for producing a sub-normal flow in the cutoffwhen there is an abnormal in crease in the How ofgas through the inlet.`

A further object my invention is to provide means exterior to the 'gaschamber for resetting the cut-off valve within the chamber so as topermit the free iiow of gas.

A further object of my invention is to provide a simple device havingfew parts and therefore not liable to get out of order, which willpositively cut off the flow under the conditions stated.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming part ofthis application, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section through thedevice, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section along the lline 2--2 of Fig. 1,and Fig. 3 is a plan view of a drop arm and adjustable closure carriedthereby.

In carrying out my invention I provide an oblong casing 1 which ispreferably made of cast metal, such as brass. At one .cndvofg isa-.partition 4 dividing the interior of the' lcasing into inlet andoutlet compartments A and B, these compartments communicating with eachother by means of an opening 4X at the bottom of the partition 4; In onecorner of the compartment B is a compart- .'ment C constituting anoutlet passage and formed bya partition 5 of the shape shown in Fig. 1.The compartment B is adapted to communicate with the compartment Cthrough an opening 5x in the partition 5.

The casing 1 is provided with a cover 6 which may be fastened to thecasing by means of bolts 7, suitable packing 8 being provided to makethe joint tight. The cover bears two hand wheels 9 and 10. The formerhas a stem 9K which is threaded t-o engage the threaded lug 11, so thatas the hand wheel 9 is turned the stem 9x will move into or out of thecompartment A. The hand wheel 10 likewise has its stem 10x threaded intothe lug 12 sov that the stern may be moved upwardly or downwardly as thewheel 10 is turned. The lower part of the stem is provided with a head13. `Within the compartment A is a closure 14 arranged to close one endof the opening or passage 4X, this closure being provided with aresilient gasket 15 arranged to bear on the ends of the walls of theIpassage 4". The closure is carried at the lower end of a bell cranklever 16 which is pivoted at 17 in the side walls and whose shortlarm 18is normally pressed upon by a spring 19. The upper end of the spring isengaged by 4a lever 20 pivoted at 21 and provided at its opposite endwith a yoke 21f arranged to straddle the stem 9X so that when the handwheel 9 is turned the leverQO may be moved so as to exert greater orless force on the spring 19. In the compartment B is an arm 2:?constituting a tripping device and having at its lower end a plunger' 23arranged to enter the opposite end of the passage 4K from the closure14. .The upper endof the arm 22 is pivoted at 24 and is provided with anintegral hool or'bent over portion 24a.

At 25 is pivotedA an L-shaped arm 26 havingv I side walls.

ashoulder 26a at its end, and being provided with a' slot 2T arranged toreceive the threaded'redueed portion 28 of a closure 29 similar to theclosure 14, a milled nut 30 securing the closure to the arm.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device theoperation thereof may be readily understood. The gas enters at the inlet2 and impurities in the gas are screened out by means of the screen 31which, aswill be seen from the drawing,` is held by flanges 32projecting from` the If the flowl of the gas is normal then the closurelet will be open and the gas will pass from the compartment A into thecompartment B pushing back the plunger so as to bring the arin 22 intothe full line 'position shown in Fig. l. While in this po sitionja pin22X carried by the arm 22 engages one end of a setting lever 32, theopposite end of the lever 32 being engaged by the shoulder 26a of thearm 26. The gas passes through the compartment B in the manner indicatedby the arrows, through the opening 5x and out through the exit pipe 3.Now if for any reason the tlow otl the gas should decrease below thesafety limit, which may be predetermined, the gas will not have forceenough to push the' plunger 23 out of the passage 4x, so that the arm 22will move into the dotted-line positionl shown in Fig. l by gravity. Themovement of the arm 22 will withdraw the pin 22x from the end ofthelever 32 aud will at the saine time bring the, hooked extension 24 onthe upper end of the lever, thereby forcing the opposite endupwardlv-aiul tripping the arm 26, which will tall immediately into thedotted line position, the elosure 29 entering the opening 5^' toprevent. a further flow of gas. It will thus be seen that the gas willbe cut. otf automatically by the abnormal reduction ol the flow. Ou theother hand with the apparatus set as shown iii Fig. l, let us assumethat the [low increases. beyond a 1n'edeteruiintal safety.

limit. Then the closure 1l will 'be toi-eed into the end ot' thepassage, -lx by the increased flow thus cutting oll' the [low ol gasinto the chamber l. i\s soon as the llow iu they chamber li lowers, thelarm 22 will swing to the dotted line position, siuee no gas is coming tokeep it in the lull line position. 'l`liis will trip the arm 26 in themanner already described. Y thereby etl'eeting the. closure of theopening lt will thus be seen that the increase in the low ot' the gasreally causes the operation of the low pressure closure.

'lhe wheel t), isloi the purpose of regulating the point at which theelosure, 14 will aet, siuee by movingr the wheel more or less tensionisput on the spring lt), and hence iuore or less gas pressure will berequired to force the closure against the end of the passage 4X. Thewheel 10X is for the purpose of resetting the device, i. e., opening theclosure 29. When the wheel is screwed down the head 13 will move to thedotted line position, thereby raising thc arm 26 so as to allow theshoulder 26 to drop behind the end ofV the lever 32. If the flow of thegas has become normal the movement of the arm 22 will cause the lever 32to hold the arm 26. Any increase or decrease of flow beyond thepredetermined limits will result in the automatic cut-off of the gas asdescribed. It the head 13 is left in the dotted line position shown inFig. l, then of course the arm 26 will be prevented from falling. Inorder to insure the closing of the opening 5x l may make the closure 29adjustable along the arm 26 by the tightening or loosening of the nut30.

The device is simple, has few parts, and is not liable to get easily outof order. It may be accurately adjusted to work at predeterminedpressures.

l. A casing provided with an inlet and an outlet, a partition withinsaid easing pi'ovided with an opening, an arm pivotied ou each side otsaid partition, one of said arms being provided with a closure for saidopening, the other arm being provided with a plunger arranged toregister with said opening, a second partition provided with an opening.means for closing the opening in said second partition, and a pivotedtrip member arranged to be engaged by the pivoted arm bearing theplunger for operating the closure for the opening in said secondpartition.

2. .i easing provided with an inlet and an outlet, a partition withinsaid casing provided with an opening, an arm pivoted on eaeh side ofsaid artition, one of said arms being provided with a closure for saidopening, the other arm being provided with a plunger arranged toregister with'said opening, a second partition provided with an opening,a weighted arm'pivotally disposed near said .second partition and beingpro vided with a closure ar'anged `to enter the opening in said secondpartition, a pivoted trip member arranged to engage one end of saidweighted arm and to be engaged by the pivot'ed arm bearing the plunger.

3. A casing provided with an inlet. and an outlet, a partition withinsaid easing rovided with an opening, an arm pivote on itv arm and to beengaged by the pivoted arm bearing the plunger, and means for adjustingthe distance of the first named closure from the first named opening..

4. A casing provided with an inlet and an outlet, a vertical partitionWithin said casing provided With an opening, an arm pivoted on each sideof said partition, one of said arms being provided With a closure'forsaid opening, the other arm being provided with a plunger arranged toregister with said opening, a second partition provided with an opening,a Weighted arm pivotally disposed near said second partition and'beingprovided with a closure arranged to enter the opening in said partition,a pivoted trip member arranged to engage one end of said Weighted armand to be engaged by the pivoted arm bearing the plunger, the movementof the latter arm serving to release the Weighted arm through the mediumof the lpivoted trip.

5. A casing provided With an inlet and an outlet, a vertical partitionWithin said casing provided with `an opening, an arm pivoted on eachside of said partition, one of said arms' being provided with a closurefor said opening, the other arm being provided With a plunger arrangedto register with said opening, a second partition provided with anopening, a Weighted arm pivotally disposed near said second partitionand being provided with a closure arranged to enter the opening in saidpartition, a pivoted trip member arranged to engage one end of' saidWeighted arm and to be engaged by the pivoted arm bearing the plunger,the movement of the latter arm serving to release the Weighted armthrough the medium of the pivoted trip, and means including a spring foradjustingthe distance of the first named closure from the first namedopening.

G. A casing provided with an inlet and an outlet, a vertical partitionWithin said casing provided with an opening', an arm pivoted on eachside of said partition, one of said arms being provided with a closurefor said opening, the other arm being provided With a plunger arrangedto register with said opening, a second partition provided with anopening, a weighted arm pivotally disposed near said second partitionand being provided with a closure arranged to enter the opening in saidpartition, a pivoted trip member arranged to engage one end of saidWeighted arm and to be engaged by the pivoted arm bearing the plunger,the movement of the-latter arm serving to release the Weighted armthrough the medium of the pivoted trip, means including a spring foradjusting the distance of the first named closure from the first namedopening, and means exterior of the casing for resetting said Weightedarm.

7. An automatic gas cutoff including aI casing having an inlet and anoutlet, means let. compartments and provided at the inlet' compartmentwith an inlet and having an outlet at the outlet compartment, meanslocated in the outlet compartment and operable through an abnormaldecrease in the 'flow of the gas for closing the said outlet, andseparate means operating in the inlet compartment for producing asub-normal fion' Within the outlet compartment when there is an abnormalincrease in the flow of the gas into the inlet compartment.

9. An automatic gas cutofil including a casing having an inlet and anoutlet, a closure movable toward and from the outlet, means for holdingthe closure in its open position, and tripping mechanism operablethrough an abnormal decrease in the flow of the gas for -releasing theclosure to permit' the same to close the outlet, and separate means forproducing a sub-normal iovv Within the cutoff to cause an operation inthe tripping mechanism when there is an abnormal increase of the fioW ofthe ,gas through the inlet.

lO. An automatic gas cutoff comprising a casing having an inlet and anoutlet, a closure movable toward and from the outlet, setting mechanismfor holding the closure in its open position, said mechanism includingmeans operable through an abnormal decrease in the fiow of the gas forreleasing the closure to permit 'the same to close the outlet, andseparate means for producing a sub-normal flow within the cutoff tocause an operation of the said mechanism when there is an abnormalincrease in the flow of lthe gas through the inlet.

11. An automatic gas cuto comprising a casing having an inlet and anoutlet, means located Wholly Within the casing and operable through anabnormal decrease in the flow for closing the outlet, said meansincluding a pivoted closure, and mechanism for setting and trippingvthesame, means operable exteriorly of the casing for swinging theclosure to its open position to reset the same, and separate means forproducing a sub-normal flow in the cuto to cause an operation of thefirst-mentioned means when there is an abnormal increase in the fiowthrough the inlet.

l2. An automatic gas cutoii comprising a means for producing asub-normal ow in means connected with the spring for adjustthe cutol tocause an opleration of tlhe firsti ing the said closure.

mentioned means when t 1ere is nn a morma ,T 4 increase in the Howthrough the inlet, said 1 MARTIB LUTHER GROVL' separate mezns includinga pivotod closure, i Titnessesg a spring yieldably maintaining theclosure ALBERT FOY,

in an open position, and exteriorly operable i WILLIAM A. WRAY.

Gopes of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Ilaten'cs,

Washington, D. G.

